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One of the things I like about Linux is that fixing this was a no-brainer. I did not even read this forum thread or get any advice. The error message pointed me in the right direction. I waited a couple times to make sure medibuntu was really dead and not just down temporarily. After a couple weeks, I scrutinized the error message the update manager was spitting out. It was pretty obvious all I had to do was open a terminal, change to /etc/apt, edit sources.list and remove the reference to medibuntu. After that smooth sailing, as everyone else has noted.

Probably /etc/apt/sources.list for Linux Mint 14. "gksudo gedit" is for Cinnamon and Xfce editions. For MATE edition use "gksudo pluma", for KDE edition use "kdesu kate". Or replace with the editor of your choice.

Just to be clear about kelebek333's post about Medibuntu mirrors: the Medibuntu developers have canceled the project and aren't maintaining the Medibuntu packages any longer. So for most users there's no point in adding the Medibuntu repository, as there will never--ever--be updates coming from it again.

Only two scenarios I can think of where it could be useful to add the Medibuntu repository mirror to your system:

If you are using Linux Mint 13 and have installed the no-codecs version, and later want to install the codecs (some of which come from this repository);

If you need some of the packages from this repository that weren't already installed by Linux Mint (you can see list of available packages by clicking through from here http://mirrors.ucr.ac.cr/medibuntu/ to the Ubuntu package base of your Linux Mint version).

However, for both scenarios it is better to find a maintained source of the packages you need (like the VideoLAN repository for libdvdcss) as you will be installing unmaintained packages from this mirror (never updated to fix issues or add features) .

1. Thanks a bunch! I was wondering what happened to the Medibuntu repo's (and even why I had them!)

2. This might be slightly off topic, but (IMHO) this appears to disclose a wicked nasty bug with the Update Manager.

Viz.:If, during the repository check process, a repository fails - in this case with a "404" error, or an "unable to resolve [link]" error - the Update Manager just throws in the towel and fails to update ANYTHING.

IMHO, the desired behavior should be to emit an error message - perhaps recording it to the logs, or requiring a click-through dialog - but then still continuing with the update using whatever repositories are available.

Having the Update Manager simply finish its beer, pay, and then go home if the update phase generates errors seems, (at least to me), to be a bad choice, ( ), as this inhibits the ENTIRE update process, not just the single depreciated - or temporarily unavailable - repository.

Does anybody know if a bug has been filed?

Thanks again for all your help here!

Jim (JR)

================================================================

Update 11/12/2013 12:45 pm EST:

I edited /etc/apt/sources.list commenting out the depreciated mediabuntu repository, added the new videolan repository, and updated the keyring using the command you provided to accomplish the update.

Running the Update Manager disclosed six updates, at least five of wich were updates to older mediabuntu files.

Again, my thanks for an excellent distribution and an even more excellent support forum!

Jim (JR)

Some see things as they are, and ask "Why?" I dream things that never were, and ask "Why Not".Robert F. Kennedy

“Impossible” is only found in the dictionary of a fool. Old Chinese Proverb

Hi, I have been using Linux Mint (Cinammon 15) with pleasure for a couple of months, getting used to it. I never used Linux with success before.

Just recently I have been getting this error message, which disallows updates. I've tried everything here, and nothing seems to work. This is the first time in my life I've ever used a command line. Typing extremely lost commands, when I have no idea what they mean, is not a very smart way to have new Linux users solve problems. Especially when "paste" into the command line doesn't seem to work and the incomprehensible commands need to be typed by hand.

For the solution suggested by "the bookkeeper", the first command doesn't seem to work, is says that it doesn't exist.

Can anyone give me a very clear and exact description of exactly what to do, step by step? And what to do when it doesn't work?

skadish on Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:55 pmHi, I have been using Linux Mint (Cinammon 15) with pleasure for a couple of months, getting used to it. I never used Linux with success before.

Just recently I have been getting this error message, which disallows updates. I've tried everything here, and nothing seems to work. This is the first time in my life I've ever used a command line. Typing extremely lost commands, when I have no idea what they mean, is not a very smart way to have new Linux users solve problems. Especially when "paste" into the command line doesn't seem to work and the incomprehensible commands need to be typed by hand.

For the solution suggested by "the bookkeeper", the first command doesn't seem to work, is says that it doesn't exist.

Can anyone give me a very clear and exact description of exactly what to do, step by step? And what to do when it doesn't work?

skadish,I doubt I know much more than you, but just go to 'Menu' selection & click on 'Terminal'. The box comes up ready for commands. You will have to enter your password/username. Copy & paste Xenopeek's commands (above) in, one at a time, & press 'Enter' each time. As X says, you get no acknowledgement after, but 'Update' should work then. If in doubt, just repeat the sequence of commands. Don't forget to close the Terminal box.

There's no conspiracy here. See the link on the first post in this topic, where I link you to the statement from Medibuntu about their reasons for shutting it down. It's unneeded these days except for libdvdcss, which is now hosted with VideoLAN (the developers of VLC), and the Medibuntu packages were badly maintained for a long time already.

Whether you get libdvdcss from Medibuntu or from VideoLAN doesn't change it's legal status (i.e., whether it's legal or not depends on the specific copyright laws in your country). What libdvdcss does and legal questions are answered in the links you can find at the end of this page: http://www.videolan.org/developers/libdvdcss.html